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The more I think about it, the more I'd be willing to pay that premium ($1800-2500) for the built-in nav. You do get direct integration with the car's systems (speed, steering input, large screen, HUD, etc.) that you'd never get with any TomTom or Garmin.

But what still raises my hackles is that I can buy said TomTom or Garmin for $150-200 on a model that provides free map updates for life! Being forced to pay $200-500 for a SINGLE update for the OEM system kills me! Especially when updates are available 4 times a year on that $150 TomTom.

I'd be happy to pay $2000 for an OEM integrated nav system that was sourced by Garmin or TomTom and included that company's map updates, etc.

I'm constantly watching my speed and during my test drive it was difficult to see the speedometer. It could have been how I was positioned though. Also, IMHO the larger screen looks way better than the smaller one when I've looked at pics without the tech package. I was also back and forth, but seeing as how this is my first BMW I opted for it.

p.s. of all the pics of cars I've seen the extended instrument cluster seemed to be there even without the tech package.

I'm constantly watching my speed and during my test drive it was difficult to see the speedometer. It could have been how I was positioned though. Also, IMHO the larger screen looks way better than the smaller one when I've looked at pics without the tech package. I was also back and forth, but seeing as how this is my first BMW I opted for it.

p.s. of all the pics of cars I've seen the extended instrument cluster seemed to be there even without the tech package.

I don't think you will regret getting the tech package. Nav is very good, plus you get the HUD which is exceptional, and the larger screen looks much better. I would also get teh BMW Assist/Apps thing so you can send addresses to the Nav from Google Search. This is teh ebst feauture on the Nav.

p.s. of all the pics of cars I've seen the extended instrument cluster seemed to be there even without the tech package.

The extended cluster is most definitely not shown in every picture of the car. You can find pics on this forum of the standard cluster. What I think we have seen is for some reason, certain cars without the Tech package are coming with the enhanced gauge cluster. But the dealer car I drove, with no tech package, had the standard cluster even with the premium package. Wish a board CA would clue us in!

The extended cluster is most definitely not shown in every picture of the car. You can find pics on this forum of the standard cluster. What I think we have seen is for some reason, certain cars without the Tech package are coming with the enhanced gauge cluster. But the dealer car I drove, with no tech package, had the standard cluster even with the premium package. Wish a board CA would clue us in!

Yes it must be one way or the other, can't believe you just get 'lucky' and get it on some cars, and on others you don't.

The extended cluster is most definitely not shown in every picture of the car. You can find pics on this forum of the standard cluster. What I think we have seen is for some reason, certain cars without the Tech package are coming with the enhanced gauge cluster. But the dealer car I drove, with no tech package, had the standard cluster even with the premium package. Wish a board CA would clue us in!

Perhaps it has something to do with the sports automatic with paddle shifters?
Did the one you drove have paddle shifts?

The more I think about it, the more I'd be willing to pay that premium ($1800-2500) for the built-in nav. You do get direct integration with the car's systems (speed, steering input, large screen, HUD, etc.) that you'd never get with any TomTom or Garmin.

But what still raises my hackles is that I can buy said TomTom or Garmin for $150-200 on a model that provides free map updates for life! Being forced to pay $200-500 for a SINGLE update for the OEM system kills me! Especially when updates are available 4 times a year on that $150 TomTom.

I'd be happy to pay $2000 for an OEM integrated nav system that was sourced by Garmin or TomTom and included that company's map updates, etc.

It is elegantly integrated into the car and for that reason is probably worth it.

Sad to say, BMW switched from the excellent NavTeq maps to TeleAtlas in 2009 and there have been many complaints about inexplicably bizarre routing in the US.

TeleAtlas is owned by TomTom but BMW thinks you will pay $400 to $500 for a $49 map update which won't fix the strange routing.

All four systems took recently completed sections of the I-355, and all four found a new subdivision in Plainfield, Ill., though the BMW’s showed a few more roads than the others. In the end, the 3 Series’ system put us on the most expedient routes, even lopping off some time at the end. After a rough start, it completed the evaluation with few of the G37’s wrong-headed instructions and none of the smaller routing issues the TSX and Garmin incurred. It’s not the cheapest or most feature-packed system, but for simply getting the job done, BMW’s system won the day.

Believe that it was a 2010 3-series which has a pretty similar navigation product to what is in the current car.

A laugh for residents of Ontario, Canada..... 1) I entered "L.C.B.O." (Liquor Control Board on Ontario) into our X3's Nav system. The closest location it found was 460km away! I then tried "LCBO". Same result. I then typed out the complete name. You guessed it - same result. For those who don't know, there are probably LCBO's in any 10 block area of Toronto. 2) I tried to find a Shopper's Drug Mart near where I was driving and tried all different combinations of that name - nothing found. You can't drive more than 4 or 5 blocks in Toronto without passing a Shopper's...... So all I can say is that we'll give BMW's NAV a pass when we buy our 2nd Beemer next Spring.

A laugh for residents of Ontario, Canada..... 1) I entered "L.C.B.O." (Liquor Control Board on Ontario) into our X3's Nav system. The closest location it found was 460km away! I then tried "LCBO". Same result. I then typed out the complete name. You guessed it - same result. For those who don't know, there are probably LCBO's in any 10 block area of Toronto. 2) I tried to find a Shopper's Drug Mart near where I was driving and tried all different combinations of that name - nothing found. You can't drive more than 4 or 5 blocks in Toronto without passing a Shopper's...... So all I can say is that we'll give BMW's NAV a pass when we buy our 2nd Beemer next Spring.

I was driving to a pub called 'Three Lions' just now to watch soccer. I know where it is but just for kicks tried to find it on the Nav POI using 'LION' as keyword. Didn't show up even though I was only 2-3 miles away!

However, the F30 Nav allows you to Google Search for your destination on your iPhone then send the location to your car. This works extremely well!

Believe that it was a 2010 3-series which has a pretty similar navigation product to what is in the current car.

Thanks! I even tried Google with different combinations of relevant words but didn't turn up anything, mostly just comparisons or the TomTom against Garmin, Magellen, etc. Nothing that included any built-in auto nav systems.

I noticed that this review is about 1.5 years old, but I don't think that BMW has made any significant changes since then.

Actually I'm not sure if that's true. I don't know about BMW specifically, but for every other vehicle I have purchased in the last 10 years the residual value was LOWER if you had the nav/tech package than if you didn't have them.

For most cars, the on-board tech stuff is obsolete in 3 yrs and hopelessly out-dated in 5 years.... so a lot of people simply put aftermarket stuff in. Obviously that's much harder with something like a BMW with i-drive but I would still be surprised if resale/residual value was higher with NAV than without it.

One of the key reasons I am leasing this go around vs. buying is that I expect a lot of changes in in-car tech/entertainment in the next few years and don't want to take a resale hit if/when that happens.

Actually I'm not sure if that's true. I don't know about BMW specifically, but for every other vehicle I have purchased in the last 10 years the residual value was LOWER if you had the nav/tech package than if you didn't have them.

Sorry don't agree with this. I was shopping used Merc/Audi/BMW recently before I got my F30 and in every case NAV-equipped cars were more expensive.

Sorry don't agree with this. I was shopping used Merc/Audi/BMW recently before I got my F30 and in every case NAV-equipped cars were more expensive.

I am not talking about used car prices, I am talking about resale/residual value of a new car with/without tech/nav as a percentage of the vehicle MSRP.

As a specific example, the residual at 3 years 36,000 miles on my wife's Acura was 60%. If she had added the nav/tech it would have been 57%.

So sure, as a used car the nav/tech equipped car is still going to "cost more" but it lost more of it's original value after 3 yrs as a percentage of original cost than a non-equipped car that was otherwise identical.

I am not talking about used car prices, I am talking about resale/residual value of a new car with/without tech/nav as a percentage of the vehicle MSRP.

As a specific example, the residual at 3 years 36,000 miles on my wife's Acura was 60%. If she had added the nav/tech it would have been 57%.

So sure, as a used car the nav/tech equipped car is still going to "cost more" but it lost more of it's original value after 3 yrs as a percentage of original cost than a non-equipped car that was otherwise identical.

Sorry don't agree with this. I was shopping used Merc/Audi/BMW recently before I got my F30 and in every case NAV-equipped cars were more expensive.

That's because most dealer's can get away with it to potential buyers. I'm trying to find the article, but there was one done in the last couple years that found Nav-equipped cars added little to no value for resale. As someone else stated, it's basically outdated tech in 3 years...in BMW's, sometimes 3 months (ie. Combox in late 2010 and then more features added like apps that couldn't be retro'd without major cost).

After reading about the pretty lackluster directions with the Nav (thanks Tele-Atlas), I was not too upset for not ordering with my car, as much as I'd like the other parts of iDrive. For $2k, I thought a joke, even for the $1 it probably would have added to the payment. Plus, more fun to pay attn to driving the car and the Google Nav works pretty well on my Android phone, if needed.

I traded a 2011 335i coupe for my F30 and the Nav portion of the car looks identical in function from what I see so far. It still indicates directions arrows and distance like you mentioned.

That sucks. That distance thing was the worst change the made (well, one of them anyway) because its so completely inaccurate. The actual distance is usually at least half if not less of what she tells you and saying "turn right now" right as I'm supposed to be turning is useless. "Take the next right" was SO MUCH better.

I don't lease. The car was two years old and I wanted to try out the F30. No regrets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snareman

That sucks. That distance thing was the worst change the made (well, one of them anyway) because its so completely inaccurate. The actual distance is usually at least half if not less of what she tells you and saying "turn right now" right as I'm supposed to be turning is useless. "Take the next right" was SO MUCH better.

I have not noticed the distance to be as bad as half off, but it is off some and add to that the time lag of distance updates and it can cause you to overshoot. Especially in areas there the streets are close together.